Christmas Cards!

Are you looking for ideas for making your own Christmas cards.......wondering how you are going to get them done on time? We have lots of options for you.

This is a kit that makes 4 cards and 3 tags. It is packed with product to make many, many more. Materials include a 6x6 paper tablet, entire package of buttons, entire package of ribbon, 12x12 element sticker sheet and more. This kit is available for only $29.99 and includes envelopes, full instructions and photos.

You can join us for a class on Wednesday, December 2 and create 8 beautiful cards that include embossing, ribbons, journaling spots, Stickles and more! This class starts at 6:30pm. We have spaces available in the class and you can also order kits for this workshop as well. Class is $25 and kits are $27

This weeks featured kit is also available. Check out the post here!

Be sure to stop in and see these in person to check out all the details that each kit/workshop offers.

Online Crop Winners!

We wanted to send out a big thank you to everyone who posted challenges for our online crop this past weekend on the forum! They were all amazing. I enjoyed popping by and checking out what everyone was doing and joining in on the chatter. If you were unable to join us, be sure to stop by our layout gallery and check out the creativity! Hopefully you can join in the next time.

Our big prize winner this time around was Sharlene! She did all the challenges and uploaded everything to the gallery by the deadline. Congratulations.......there is a $20 gift certificate with your name on it waiting at the store.

Both Laureen and Erin also completed a number of challenges and we have a $10 gift certificate for each of them as well. Congratulations ladies.

Featured Kit of the Week!

"It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing."

Good morning scrapbook friends! The month of December is fast approaching. I love to make Christmas cards and Regan has designed this amazing card kit to help us out. She created 8 beautiful cards with details that include ribbon, buttons, brads and embossed cardstock. Each card is bursting with colour and cuteness!








This set is available for only $19.99 and it includes envelopes. Items that have been used that are not included in the kit are Stickles and Liquid Pearls. These items are available in our store for under $3 each.

The kit includes a colour photo and cutting instructions.

Retreat Memories

Our Fall Retreat this year was a huge success and we wanted to share with you some of the fun everyone had!

Our Retreat was once again held at the Oakwood Inn Golf Resort and Spa located on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron in Grand Bend, Ontario. We arrived a day before everyone else in order to set up and make sure everything was ready for our 140 scrapbooking guests. On Friday the weather was wonderful so we drove down to the beach before everyone arrived and had a little photo shoot!

By 3:00pm on Friday, our our on-site store was organized, seating was arranged, Goodie Bags were placed out and we had a line-up of croppers waiting to take their seats. When we opened the doors, everyone quickly settled in and started some serious scrapbooking.

Saturday brought lots more scrapbooking, incredible meals, spa appointments and classes.

It also brought Regan and Deanna, who joined us for the day to do some great demos using Copic markers and Stamping Bella stamps.

Everyone was quite taken with the versatility of these fabulous products and couldn't wait to buy their own!

A chocolate fondue was a wonderful surprise on Saturday night, much to the delight of everyone!

In keeping with our Fall theme, we decided to have some pumpkin fun.

It is amazing the laughs that result when you mix a room full of crazy scrapbookers with a few plastic pumpkins! After our 'warm-up exercises', we had a pumpkin decorating contest! Each table worked very hard to make their pumpkins into something creative and we were amazed at the talent displayed!

Scrappin Princess won the Runner-Up Title! She was complete with snacks, drinks (?), her music and even a cell phone with a message for Two Scrapbook Friends on it! So creative!!

The Grand Prize Winner was the Third Scrapbook Friend! What can we say? She had everything a scrapbook friend could need - including a light on her headband so she could scrap well into the night!

Our croppers continued to enjoy challenges, games and prizes throughout the weekend and these photos prove that there was more than one Ranger fan at the Retreat (much to Carolyn's delight) and that Joanne can be bought with chocolate!

On Sunday, we announced a number of special prize winners. We had eight winners who went home with a $100.00 gift certificate to be used at Two Scrapbook Friends. Samantha Hill was the winner of the Product Challenge. She used her little canvas goodie bag and it's contents to create a beautiful mini-album. Well done Samantha!

As you can see, Sam was delighted with her new rolling tote and she proved it by doing a little runway walk with it!

And our Grand Prize winner of the weekend, was Andrea Visneskie!

Andrea won a free weekend at our Spring 2010 Retreat! Congratulations friend!

Once again, we had an absolutely wonderful Retreat Weekend with our scrapbooking friends and we are looking forward to our Spring Retreat next April. We will be posting information about it in an upcoming email and blog post. If you can join us, you will be guaranteed to have a great time!

Congratulations!

The Winter 2009/2010 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker has arrived at Two Scrapbook Friends.

As usual, it is a wonderful edition loaded with great ideas, tips and techniques. PLUS there is a special surprise on page 58! Our very own Karan Gerber had one of her layouts published! We are very proud of her.

Stop in soon to pick up a copy while quantities last!

Friendzy Friday with Karan

Handmade Flowers:

I love flowers on my cards and layouts and have always wanted to make my own. With a ton of scraps in my tote, I thought it would be a good time to search the net for some assistance. I came across a wonderful tutorial on the Pink Paislee blog by Holly but didn't have the large brads that she used. I tweaked it a bit and want to share it here with you.

These are not difficult to make, all you need is:

scrap paper measuring 5'x5"

large button

elastic band or twill

adhesive

sharp scissors

1. To begin with, take your 5″ x 5″ square of patterned paper and fold it in half 3 times on the diagonal…

2. You will need a sharp pair of scissors, the sharper the better… you’ll need these to cut through all of those layers of paper with some precision.

3. Cut a rounded edge into the top of the triangle…

4. Begin to unfold your flower, you can now distress this with your edge distresser or sanding block.

5. Take a large button in a colour you dont use often and adhere it to the center. After you affix the button, wrap the paper around to the back of the button, and secure with a small rubber band. or twill, either will work fine. You should end up with something that looks like a badminton shuttlecock…

Take the “petals,” and flatten them back out until you have your flower…

6. You’ll have to fiddle and tug on the paper to get it to look exactly the way you want. The paper is pretty sturdy, but don’t pull on it too hard and tear your flower. After you get it looking like you want, turn it over and flatten it out

Feel free to add glitter, distress it with your favorite distress ink or bling, or make them in different sizes to create dimension.

I hope you give these flowers a try, I just love them and will continue to make them for my paper projects! Thanks Holly!

Glamour Dust

Glamour Dust from DecoArt is a new product that we are carrying. It is a very fine glitter that can be added to any project to add a little sparkle. This is a product that every scrapbooker/cardmaker should have!

Here is a card that Deanna created and she added a little Glamour Dust to the eyelids of this cute owl image.

Be sure to stop in and add a little sparkle to your projects!

Kit of the Week!

Good morning friends! We hope you had a great weekend. It is Kit of the Week time again and this week we bring you a kit that was designed by Shelby from our design team. She is a very talented scrapbooker and you will be seeing more of her designs in the future.

She used the Lime Rickey collection from Basic Grey and added a few details from Scenic Route, Jillibean Soup and Creative Imaginations! This bright and colourful design will work for all sorts of photos. The quote says 'It is a happy talent to know how to play'!

Be sure to stop in and pick up your kit today!

Class Hightlights

This week is going to be a busy one.....we have lots of classes going on and lots of new product hitting the shelves. Be sure to stop in and check things out, or join us for a class.

Snips & Snails or Sugar & Spice!



Karan has created these adorable layouts for your little boy and/or girl. Imagine how sweet your photos will look on these layouts. Rough & Tough and Dancing Girl from Fancy Pants will provide the perfect background and with the addition of corrugated alpha's, die-cut snails/ladybugs and a touch of stitching it is a must do!

• Monday, November 16th
• 7:00 pm
• $18
• Bring basic supplies plus foam adhesive, a brown ink pad, glue dots and a large needle for stitching

We have spaces in our class if you would like to join us, or you can purchase a kit that includes a photo and instructions.

Card Friendzy Crop!

This is a sold out night that guarantees to be tons of fun! Bring your stamps, papers, punches and other embellishments and share products and ideas with other scrapbook friends. Regan and Deanna will be at our crop to do some demos with the new Copic markers and Stamping Bella stamps as well as to give you other ideas to create beautiful cards. You will receive 3 stamped images that you can use to create cards.

• Tuesday, November 17th
• 6pm - 9pm
• $5
• Please bring your basic supplies and any other materials you wish to use. Copic markers and stamps will be available for purchase if you wish.

Happy Day!


Oodles of doodles and special effects create a delightful layout for your special photos.

The Animal Bash collection from Prima inspired this whimsical layout that we know you will love. Hanging clouds, stamped scallops, layered flowers and a doodled border are just a few of the details on this page. With the addition of Glossy Accents, bling and a glitter pen, it will become your own piece of art!

• Wednesday, November 18th
• 7:00pm
• $18.00
• Please bring basic supplies plus foam adhesive, Glossy Accents, glue dots, glitter pen, black fine point marker and a brown ink pad.

We have spaces in our class if you would like to join us, or you can order a kit that will include a photo and instructions.

Kidz Klub!

Our young scrapbookers are invited to join us to create a fun Countdown to Christmas project!

This special calendar will keep the excitement of Christmas alive as you count down the days until the 25th! Each day has a window that you can add a special photo behind or maybe a note from Mom and Dad that will direct you to a special treat!

• Saturday, November 21st
• 10:30am
• $15
• Please bring double-sided adhesive and a pair of scissors.

We have spaces in our class if you would like to join us or you can order a kit!

New Christmas Lines in the Store!

Deck the Halls from TPC......it is a fun, colourful holiday collection made up of fantastic papers and whimsical embellishments to make the perfect seasonal layout, card or project.



We have received the 2 new Christmas lines from Kaisercraft! Double-sided papers, rubons, chipboard, stickers and more!

Another Beyond the Page project from Kaisercraft is the advent calendar. We have a few of these available. They come bare and you can decorate them with any line of papers you wish.

New Product in the Store!

New from Cricut......limited edition cartridges. We have all three available in very limited quantities. Note that these cartridges do not have any creative features.

When It's Cold Outside - this cartridge is filled with unique snowflake designs (forty to be exact) plus cut outs for five 3-D versions as well.
Snow Friends - 10 different snowmen including outfits.
Very Merry Tags - includes 50 great holiday tags.

Friendzy Friday with Carolyn!

Today I am going to show you how to make a bow out out of a 1/2 sheet of pattern paper. You can use cardstock for this as well, but if you use a pattern paper it is best if it is a double-sided.

You will need:

• 6x12 sheet of double-sided pattern paper or cardstock
• 12-inch paper cutter
• foam adhesive
• 1/16 hole punch or something to pierce a hole
• adhesive
  
• brads

Begin by cutting 8 strips that measure 1x6 inches. Place 4 of them with one side of the pattern up and the other 4 with the other side of the pattern up. Cut 4 strips that measure 1x5 inches and 1 strip that measures 1x4 inches. *Be sure to cut the 1x4 before you cut the 1x5's to be sure to have enough paper!

Place adhesive at one end of each of these strips.

Fold all of the 1x6 and 1x5 inch pieces like this. One set of the 1x6's will have one side of the pattern showing and the other set with have the other set showing.

When you are finished the folding they should look something like this.

Fold your 1x4 inch strip so that it looks like this.

Punch a hole (or pierce) at the bottom of each looped piece.

Attach them together as shown below with a brad.

To assemble your bow, you will be stacking the layers. Start with the 2 sets of 1x6's and finish with the set of 1x5's. You will offset the points as you stack them up.

Place a foam square in the center of the bottom layer of your bow.

Place a foam square in center of your next layer.

Place a foam square in the center of your final layer.

Add the circle loop in the center of your final layer to complete the bow.

Here is a side view of your finished bow. It is fun to alternate the colours or mix and match patterns together. You can also match them to wrapping paper or gift bags that you already have.

It is a quick and easy way to embellish any package. They will be a wonderful addition to your Christmas wrapping!

Stamping Bella Stamps Have Found A Home!

Our Stamping Bella stamps have finally found a home. Many of our scrapbook friends have been in to see this wonderful collection and had to shop out of a crate, but now you can come in and visit them in their new home.

At our retreat we had a chance to play with them a little and we have some amazing samples up in the store for you to see. Regan, Deanna, Joanne, Karan and myself have all contributed. Here are some snapshots of them, but they look much better in person.



We have also re-stocked our shelves with Zing embossing powder (the best on the market), Dew Drops, and all the colours in the rainbow of the Memento inks. These are so yummy, you will want them all! We have the larger pads of black Memento ink for use with the Copic markers.



Check back often to see all the amazing new products that will be hitting our shelves this week. We have 4 new Christmas lines as well as many other themes!

Kit of the Week

Good morning scrapbook friends! It is a beautiful day (certainly doesn't feel like November) and we have just returned from our Fall Retreat Weekend at the Oakwood Inn. It was a wonderful event and we hope everyone had a great time.

We are moving a little bit slower than usual, but it is before noon, so I don't feel too badly. Here is this weeks Kit of the Week. It is called Rough & Tough and features papers from My Minds Eye.

Design Team Call

DESIGN TEAM CALL FOR TWO SCRAPBOOK FRIENDS!

Our current Design Team term is coming to an end and we are looking to appoint a new Online Design Team for the next term. We will consider both new designers and members from our first team.

Submissions will be taken until Monday, November 30 ( Midnight EST). The names of our New Designers will be posted on our blog early in December and our first reveal with our new team will be January 1, 2010!

We have a fantastic message board and gallery where people from all over join together for inspiration. Read the details below and consider being part of our team! (Previous design team experience is not required.)

To apply, send us the following to 2friends@execulink.com by midnight EST

Monday, November 30, 2009

1) Contact information including: Name, Address, Phone Number and Email Address.

2) Mini description/bio about yourself including how long you have been scrapbooking, why you love it, and what best describes your style. Also, include a personal headshot.

3) Links to online resumes, blogs or galleries that represent your work.

4) Prior or current design team experience.

5) Any combination of 3 layouts (1 single and a double or 3 singles), 1 altered project and 1 card that best represents your unique style.

Design Team Requirements

1) Commitment to a 6 month term (January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010).

2) Active (daily is possible) participation on our online message board.

3) Participation on our blog with our weekly Friendzy Friday Tips and Techniques.

4) Weekly uploads to our online gallery.

5) Promotion of Two Scrapbook Friends on personal blogs and use of assigned, customized 'blinkies' where permitted.

6) Motivation of our message board members with weekly DT challenges and DT challenges when our online crops are hosted.

7) Participation in online and in store activities including online crops, contests, in store take n’ makes, samples for trade shows, etc.

8) Other responsibilities as they may arise.

9) Any combination of 3 layouts (1 single and a double or 3 singles), 1 card or altered item per month with the monthly kit provided.

10) Exclusivity to TSF Design Team, within South-Western Ontario.

11) All projects designed for Two Scrapbook Friends Design Team are exclusive to Two Scrapbook Friends for the duration of the term.

Design Team Rewards

As a Design Team member you will experience the following rewards:

* Free featured kit exclusive to the Two Scrapbook Friends Online Design Team each month.

* 20% off store purchases.

* Work displayed online and in-store.

* Respect and recognition from other scrapbookers!
We look forward to hearing from you!

Friendzy Friday with Corrina

with Corrina

Paper Bag Book

Take three paper lunch bags (I used white ones but brown work as well).

Fold each one in half and make a book.

Punch two holes and put a ribbon through them.


Start to embellish the pages of the paper bag.





Make tags to put on in the pockets of the paper bags.

These make great teachers gifts! You could even attach a gift card to one of the tags.

Workshop Highlights!

Grateful Fall
Monday, November 9th
6:30pm - 9pm

Fall is such a beautiful time of year and your photos deserve an equally beautiful layout. Karan did an amazing job designing this double-page using the fabulous fall collection from Little Yellow Bicycle. It is full of texture and techniques. Our favourite element is the addition of corrugated cardboard for matting and to make a pumpkin (shown on pg 2). The cardboard is totally transformed using Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist and it gives the layout a very rustic look.

Join us on Monday in the workshop or you can order a kit. If you are joining us for the class please be sure to bring your basic supplies along with Glossy Accents, foam adhesive, glue dots, an edge distressing tool, a glitter pen and a brown ink pad.

The cost for the class is $22. If you order a kit the fee is $24 and will include a photo and full instructions for you to complete the layout on your own. The kits will also have the Glimmer Misting done for you.

Christmas Cards With Regan
Wednesday, November 11th
6:30 pm - 9 pm

We are welcoming Regan to our team and she will be teaching this amazing Christmas card workshop where you will create 8 beautiful cards that include a variety of techniques and designs! Work with beautiful papers, stickers, border punches, Stickles, flowers, buttons, ribbons and decorative brads. You will also create a stunning embossed background using the very popular Cuttlebug!

This workshop is SOLD OUT and kits are no longer available. If you have signed up for this workshop be sure to bring your basic supplies along with foam adhesive, glue dots, a border punch of your choice, red & gold Stickles and a brown ink pad. Envelopes are included!

2009 Fall Retreat At Oakwood Inn Resort!

It has finally arrived and we are very excited to be hosting our 2009 Fall Retreat at the Oakwood Inn Resort again. The deluxe accommodations, fabulous meals, scenic surroundings, and the endless scrapbooking make this weekend something we look forward to.





Joanne and I will head out today and start setting up for the weekend. We look forward to greeting you at 3pm on Friday!

My mom (Audrey) and daughter (Amanda) will be holding down the fort here in Waterloo. Please take note that the store will be closing at 3pm on Saturday to allow time for Amanda to make her way up to the Oakwood before dark!

We wish everyone joining us this weekend safe travels.

You & Me Class Hightlight!

Wednesday, November 4th
7:00pm

Everyday moments or a special occasion can bring warm memories that you want to preserve. With room for lots of photos and /or journaling you will be able to capture your memories perfectly on this gorgeous double-page layout. Basic Grey papers, stickers, and rub-ons all add to the warmth you will feel when this layout is viewed.

You will work with beautiful rub-ons to create this amazing butterfly accent on your layout. Foam adhesive is used to give it dimension. The detail and the colours are stunning.

There are many different rub-ons that you will use on this double page! These are a fun and easy way to add detail.

We still have a few spots available. You can attend the workshop for $18 or you can receive a kit with instructions and photos for $20.

November Product Challenge Kits!

It is product challenge time again! At the beginning of every month we have a new product challenge kit available. Before we reveal the new kit, we need to pick a winner for October!

This month our winner is Tammy Keels. She did an amazing job using the elements from the kit to create this very 'spooky' layout. Congratulations Tammy. You have won a $10 gift certificate for our store, the next product challenge kit and the embossing set that was used to create embossed spider and bat! You can stop into the store anytime to pick these items up.

Our new product challenge contains letter stickers, patterned paper, cardstock, a die-cut tree, twine and journal stickers. In order to participate in the challenge you must purchase a kit for only $3.50 and create a layout, project or card using everything in the kit (even if it is only a small piece). All entries must be uploaded to our layout gallery under the November product challenge section by midnight on the last day of the month.

Not only will you have a great time doing the challenge and get a layout or project done......you will also have the chance to win a $10 gift certificate for our store, along with the December product challenge kit FREE!

Kits are ready to go, so be sure to pick yours up before the are gone!

November Design Team Kits Available!

November Design Team Kits are ready to go! You will receive everything our talented dt members received so that you can create similar designs to theirs, or create you own!

Check out all their creations in our Layout Gallery! You will find them under the November Design Team section! Kits are only $19.99 and contain lots of exciting products including papers from the Indian Summer line from Basic Grey! Be sure to stop into the store and see our Design Team creations in person.

Kit of the Week & November Calendar Page

Hello friends! Hopefully everyone had a very 'spooky' weekend and the ghosts & goblins got lots of candy treats! This week's kit is called Frightfully Delightful and it uses the Basic Grey Eerie line of products. You receive a full sheet of alpha stickers so you can personalize it anyway you wish.

It is also time to reveal our November calendar page. The end of another year is coming so if you haven't started your calendar yet.......now is the time. We are well stocked with 12x12 calendars and month # stickers.